In today’s world it’s cool to be busy. You get praised for hustle and being on the fast-track to success. But speed can slow you down in the long run.
Photo by Deccio Creative
I’ve been writing and blogging for more than five years now. I’m still not making a profit, but I don’t care. I believe that the slow road to success is better than burning myself out. In fact, I’d argue that speed kills growth.
4 Ways Speed Is Dangerous For Your Growth
- Burnout: Early in my own blogging journey, I pushed hard. I wrote 7 articles a week on several different blogs. I spent hours a day networking with other bloggers. When I didn’t see the growth I’d hoped for, I all but quit. But in 2014, I started Hip Diggs with a new philosophy of keeping things slow and simple. It’s paying off. My traffic has more then tripled in the past year.
- Lack of quality: When I was pushing out 20-30 posts a week, I was writing shit. Granted, it was good writing practice, but my articles lacked depth. They were filled with typos and errors. Great craftsmanship in any product or art comes by spending your time and focusing on quality.
- Hurts relationships: When you’re on the fast-track to success, everything else in your life can suffer. I’ve watched several friends’ relationships go south because they were too busy hustling to reach their perception of success. But what have you gained if you have all the riches but lose the things you love?
- Physical and mental stress: Trying to do too much, too fast, will create stress. Stress is a killer. Too much stress leads to mental and emotional anguish. Stress can lead to physical symptoms like high blood pressure. And people often turn to unhealthy habits when they’re stressed: less sleep, less exercise, poor eating, and alcohol consumption to name a few.
These 4 Negatives Of Speed Will Hold You Back
If you hustle too hard, if you push beyond what’s healthy, you’ll crash. You’ll sacrifice people and things you love. You’ll miss out on life. Your work will lack professionalism. You’ll be under constant pressure.
There are more important things in life than success. The key is to find a healthy balance. It’s okay to have dreams and to work toward your goals. It’s when you put your business goals before your health and your family that things will become problematic.
Take your time. Create quality. There’s nothing wrong with taking the slow road. It’s not a race. We all die in the end.
Do you want to have a legacy for being a great writer who spent time creating works of art? Or would you rather be known as a flash in the pan who burnt out from overwork? I know which I’ll choose.
